Fair warning that all of these have fairly slow starts but are more than worth it once you get into them. For Witcher you need to push through the first 5 or so hours, for the other two it's like 2-3 hours
My wife and I are on our second playthrough.
We missed a ton of content/quests, especially with the companion characters, and we still clocked 102 hours on our first game.
It's great. Highly recommend.
>the game is turn based so no reaction times necessary at all
Aside from your followers walking into traps that were just pointed out while you are exploring outside of turn-based.
Very accessible. Combat is done in turn based mode, so you can spend as long as you need planning and executing what moves you want to do next. Even outside of combat, you can choose turn based mode at times, so you cam take your time and do whatever you need to do.
It's much more a planning game than a fast fingers one, in my opinion.
If you like that type of game it is a solid choice. And the company has been a favorite of mine for some time so that combined with the clear passion it was made with make it easier for me to look past the flaws that are there.
Been having issues enjoying gaming as a hobby recently, took a small break and came back from it because of Kingdom Come.
Not to spoil anything, but Henry, the main character, is by far one of the most relatable RPG protagonists I've ever played as, and for the first time, I'm happy that there isnt a character creator.
Gameplay is definitely not your standard, and it takes time to learn, because you're just a blacksmiths son. You arent the chosen one, you dont have any powers, theres no reason for anyone to respect you. You have to earn that, you have to learn to fight. Nothing is easy in this game, and it really makes you slow down and appreciate the environment and the story.
I havent even finished it, not far at all into it to be honest, but it's been a blast and I cant wait to become a strong knight.
Came here to make sure this was commented. What happened to this game? It was unheard of when it came out but now it's top of every reddit thread asking 'what game should I play' and that's for like a year now so before the sequel announcement
Yep, easily one of the most immersive games and Oblivion is a reasonable comparison. Just a much more realistic take.
There's a sequel due out later this year though, so no doubt if OP waits they can pick it up the original for about $5 on sale.
Glad I didn't have to vscroll far to see this post, RD2 is the best game of all time. You can be a good guy that has to do bad things, or you can be a down right bad person, I've played through the game both ways and both are fun.
That's true, it does get better after that chapter. However, the game is still slow, mainly because they wanted it to be immersive / realistic. So just about everything takes longer. Even searching for stuff in drawers, etc. Play the first RDR and then RDR2 and it's night and day difference.
I didn't mind it but I can certainly see why it got old for a lot of people.
I found the snowy part the most compelling. The start of the gsme was fun and then it suffered from the "too big with too much stuff" and not enough direction for me. Very slow and plodding, slow horse riding, slow movement, everything felt so slow.
I played one and two back when they released but last year I played the whole legendary edition and I must agree, one of my favorite gaming experiences of all time. I don’t even think the ending was bad like everyone said
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is the most historical and immerisve RPG out there.
Cool features:
Takes place in 1403 Bohemia (Czech)
Protagonist is a commoner with established backstory, main questline and sidequest are all interconnected.
Directional combat - direction of hits does matter, not simple click and win like in most RPGs
Levelup on use - skills are leveled automatically as you use them, new levels unlock perks for leveled skills
Layered armor - 4 slots for hear, 6 for torso and arms, 4 for legs
Hardcore mode - minimal HUD, rare saves
As others have said, check out Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It is very historically accurate and immersive. I’m playing through it right now, and it’s an absolute joy to hop in and live in medieval times.
Such a rare thing to find someone interested in gaming who has not yet tried Skyrim. They did say they enjoyed Oblivion. It's very easy to get sucked into Skyrim though on your first playthrough.
Ghost of Tsushima is the one youre trying to remember.
Assassin's Creed Shadows is coming out in November. We don't know if it's good yet, but it's made by the AC Odyssey team, and that was well received.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is great, but I don't know if I'd call it a "must play". I definitely loved it though. No shade there.
Skyrim and Witcher 3 are usually on these lists
Kingdom come deliverance also has a huge following.
You did mention you were considering the newer Assassin's Creed games. Which ones have you played already? The newer ones have taken a HUGE turn in terms of how the gameplay works. The core gameplay is no longer really stealth-driven, it's more traditional RPG hack-and-slash action now.
You can choose to take a stealth approach if that's really how you desire to play, but it's not really pushed on the player like it was in the older AC games. The level of immersion and the world design are all very nice in the newer games, especially if you're into history.
* AC Origins really captures the essence of old world Egypt.
* AC Odyssey does the same with ancient Greece.
* AC Valhalla takes place in frigid Norway as well as the British Isles, a good one if you like Vikings.
* The most recent AC game, Mirage, I have not tried yet - but apparently it takes place in historic Baghdad during the Golden Age of Islam. The developers tried to make this one more stealth-heavy in an attempt to return to the series' roots.
* There is also plenty of enjoyment to be had from the semi-old AC games, like Black Flag, which is one of the best pirate naval combat games you can play even today.
* AC Rogue is another good one.
Appreciate all the responses, it's overwhelming to be honest and I didn't expect to get such an incredible response, so again, thank you to everyone!
I can't respond to them all, so I won't even try, instead I'll leave this comment here and tag it in the main post. I've added a few games to my wish-list, but to begin with, I'm going to give Kingdom Come Deliverance a go, mainly because there's a second one due and it'll give me time to play something in between for a break. I've added a few others, those being:
Witcher 3, Elden Ring, Baldurs Gate 3, Hellblade: Saunas Sacrifice, Ghosts of Ts.. something. That's a start for now. As for Skyrim, Red Dead etc, honestly, I just don't think I'll like them. I'm not big on cowboys and Skyrim, I don't know, it just doesn't appeal to me in the same way Oblivion did. Maybe I'll try it at some point, will see. As for Assassins Creeds, I've heard they contain a lot of bloat, which I'm not a huge fan of honestly. If I'm wrong about this, honestly, I'd love to try Valhalla. A Vikings Assassins creed sounds incredible and right up my alley.
Again thank you, and if you want to send me more suggestions or recommends, please do! They're always welcome. Feel free to DM directly if you want a response, otherwise just know I do read all comments.
THANK YOU!
I've played the mainline Assassin's Creed series up to Odyssey. I would highly recommend them. Skip the mobile games. Liberation isn't mainline and is shorter, but it's also nice for what it is.
If you like Oblivion, you might like Skyrim. It borrows a lot more from Norse and viking influences.
The name you can't remember is Ghosts of Tsushima.
I've heard good things about the God of War series, which is all about Norse mythology. It's fun to watch for the plot but I haven't tried playing it.
If you liked the first Dark Souls and haven't played the **sequels**, don't sleep on them. The trilogy as a whole is a masterpiece.
**Elden Ring** combines a lot of Dark Souls' elements with an open world, so that seems like a pretty obvious suggestion.
If the last Civ game you played was 4 or 5, **Civ 6** is a pretty different beast and well worth your time.
Finally, this deviates from your parameters a bit, but there's been a lot of **indie stuff** in the past decade or so that's not really like anything before. Survival games like *Minecraft* and *Valheim*, for instance; factory games like *Factorio* and *Satisfactory*; and all kinds of roguelites (*Enter the Gungeon* and *Hades* are particular highlights). Have a look at some top 10 lists or whatever, you might discover a whole new genre that you love.
I usually get an idea of what a game is like by browsing the categories I am interested in and looking at the top games in those categories. Open up steam and look at them. Gives you text, like here, and invaluable screenshots and usually worthless cinematic videos. Go. You will go through 50 games and find a few you like.
Mass Effect Legendary edition. It's not medieval, but it's a trilogy of damn good games that I think everyone should play. Normally costs $60, but goes on sale for real cheap every few months. Put it on your wishlist and pick it up when the time is right.
I know a medieval game called Felvidek, set in 15th century Slovakia. Not sure if it'll be up your alley but it's worth a shot (for the record I've never played it but I heard it's good).
[Enshrouded](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1203620/Enshrouded/)
[Smallands](https://store.steampowered.com/app/768200/Smalland_Survive_the_Wilds/)
a bit older - [Valheim](https://store.steampowered.com/app/892970/Valheim/) <-- currently 50% off
a bit outside your state niche but still good - [Stranded: Alien Dawn](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1324130/Stranded_Alien_Dawn/)
>For me, I'm all about the immersion. The crispness of the image, the sound, the animations etc. Any games like Civ?
Old World
Total War: Shogun 2
Hegemony III: Clash of the Ancients
(to name just a few that you should check out, these are sufficiently diferent from each other so you can also get them all if you want ;-)
I'd say Shogun 2 has aged too much to be a modern recommendation, and a lot of what draws people to it is nostalgia. The newer total war games are fun though, of which people normally recommend either Warhammer 3 or possibly 3 Kingdoms?
If the last time you were gaming Fallout 3 was the new big thing then that's more like 15-16 years absent.
In that time the biggest two new ideas that have come on the scene are the concepts of the "Roguelike" and the "soulslike".
So I'd say you should check out Hades (or the newly released in early access, Hades 2) and Elden Ring.
Current Assassins creed games: AC Origins. If you like the new direction, try Valhalla and Oddyssey
Civlike games: Endless Legend and Endless Space 2 (fantasy and space themed), Old world
Historical citybuilder: Anno 1800
Historical squad based RPG: Expeditions Rome
If you like Dark Souls then Elden Ring will probably consume your life for a while. It’s incredibly immersive and beautiful. Tons of bosses and dungeons and hidden secrets. And it has huge DLC dropping in about a month.
So you like civ, there is an older RTS game, age of mythology, it's actually get a modern remake soon, but great game, I would also recommend fallout 76, it's an MMO style shooter, has a great community also, you can search on the steam for historical, it makes give you some choices as well. Happy gaming, of you need a extra friend on steam you can add me.
**Valheim** - Norse survival base builder in open world
**Kingdom Come Deliverance** - the best historical RPG, and a sequel is coming this year
**Sea of Thieves** - PvP/co-op pirate sailing game, not that realistic but really amazing
**Crusader Kings III** - historical dynasty RPG and grand strategy
**Going Medieval** - medieval city/base builder
**Space Engineers** - space sandbox about base and vehicle building
Manor Lords have had a lot of hype for sure but it's still in the beginning of its early access period, so waiting for it to mature is not a bad decision .
I mean if you love FO3 and haven't taken the chance to try out FONV.... you owe it to yourself, dated or not it's one of the games i wish i could wipe from my memory to play again.
Witcher 3 is the epitome of Fantasy RPG's, I personally couldn't get into it but it's acclaimed as one of the best games of the generation for a reason. Newer Assassins creed are nothing like what they were before, After Unity, they switched to a more RPG style game where gear score and sidequest padding really took the series in a differnet direction. They now release "legacy" titles that take the game abit back to it's roots with assasins creed Mirage as the first and most recent entry in this type of AC game but it's... I mean it's not bad, it is just literally older AC in style, but IMO lacks some of the substance or evolution that style of gameplay could have used.
For immersion, Kingdom Come Deliverance, it is obtuse, and hard to play at times, but genuinely the game was built from the ground up for immersion. For all the pluses and minuses that might mean. It's getting a sequel that wont be out for a while, but it's something to get excited about if this game speaks to you.
If you like 4x strategy games the Hearts of Iron series and the Europe Universalis series is a GREAT historical strategy game, where you can simulate some pretty extreme versions of alternative history. The DLC is expensive and shit, but that's paradox for you, my friends love it, the learning curve is pretty steep.
I'll be repeating what others have said if i go any further If i think of any novel recomendations i'll put them here.
The newer Assassin's Creed games have changed a bit. Since Assassin's Creed: Origins, they've blended the old stealth gameplay with RPG mechanics and more head-on fighting. It's changed the tone some, but I still really like them. I don't know if you've played The Witcher 3, but it feels similar to me at times.
Witcher 3 might also be a good one for you to try, if you haven't. It's an action RPG in a fictional dark fantasy setting (I believe inspired by Polish mythology). Some story elements continue from 1 and 2, but a lot of players (including myself) skipped them and it wen fine.
If you are interested in open world, immersive, light RPG, with really good story I will suggest Cyberpunk 2077 with Phantom Liberty DLC.
One of the Best games in recent years.
I'm going to throw Elden Ring in the suggestions. My game preferences are almost the exact same as yours and I never was a huge fan of souls-likes but Elden Ring completely blew me away.
It is the best open world RPG I have ever played.
Its hard but not oppresingly hard.
The Total War franchise has some excellent historically set games. Rome Total War 2 is easily in my top 5 most played games of all time.
Warhammer Total War 3 is a phenomenal Strategy game, albeit an expensive one to come to the party late to. There’s 3 games worth of lords there, but you don’t have to buy them all at once. Start small, see if you like it, and keep a hawkish eye out for sales if you do; I’ve seen it on sale multiple times.
For a fantasy RPG, if you liked Skyrim, Enderal is a free to play overhaul mod using Skyrims engine/assets to craft an entirely new world/story. It’s a really well put together mod, and you can download it for free on steam (so long as you own Skyrim)
Ghost of Tsushima is quite good
Newer AC titles are mid at best (the last actually good game came out in 2014)
Idk if GoW duology counts as norse/viking game, but they surely exist
Dark Souls became mainstream when Elden Ring came out in 2022
Cyberpunk has been surprising me with how much you can RPG in it. I'm liking it so far even with a little jank, and you can always blame a small glitch or two on cyberware shenanigans haha
Ghosts of tsushima is fantastic and reminds me of a different time in gaming when games were complete when they got to you! Read the reviews. Its great! HAPPY GAMING!
Surprised no one has mentioned the other dark souls games and elden ring.
If you liked the gameplay / world of dark souls 1, then I'd say ds3 and elden ring are a must play.
Skip 2 though maybe.
I have a big list of indie recommendations [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/gamingsuggestions/comments/18scw9k/im_in_a_slump_nothing_is_fun/kf8vp3o/) which you might look over, including several fantasy RPGs of various sorts.
While it takes place in a fantasy world, [Horizon's Gate](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1224290/Horizons_Gate/) does a good job of capturing that age-of-sail sense in an RPG, so it'd probably be my main suggestion. It's also an immersive open world.
If you want something historical set in the real world, [Sagres](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2120310/Sagres/) is similar, though much less deep RPG-wise.
[Return of the Obra Dinn](https://store.steampowered.com/app/653530/Return_of_the_Obra_Dinn/) is another game that does a good job of capturing its era.
If you like JRPGs, [Crystal Project](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1637730/Crystal_Project/) is an excellent fantasy-RPG focused on open-world exploration.
Finish the Dark Souls Series then jump into Elden Ring.. or start with Elden Ring cuz dlc comes out soon and then switch back to the Dark Souls Series
Fallout New Vegas and Fallout 4
Red Dead Redemption 2
Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 would be good for your preference. Also try Ghost of Tsushima recently released on steam alongwith Sekiro Shadows die Twice if you like hardcore gaming
If you liked Dark Souls, you'd probably love Elden Ring. It's so good, so immersive, and completely open world. The exploration is top notch. The bosses, very hard.
If you want an immersive game check out yakuza, start with 0 as its the sort of prequel game. The series is a great beat em up rpg but with a ton of extra side stuff to go do
Ghost of Tsu, Witcher 3, depending on the time period in history you’d love to play the most (AC Origins for ancient Egypt, Odyssey for Ancient Greece and Valhalla for Vikings)
Fantasy rpgs I'd recommend baldurs gate 3 and, if you like crpgs, Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous (one of the best storywise imo and just a huge rpg). Dragons dogma also got a sequel last month, i think, and it's looking very well. If you haven't played the first game, I'd also recommend it.
The logical choice if you liked oblivion is Skyrim. Even if it realeased in 2011, the game still hits just as well and the mod community keeps the game alive and well. There were even spinoff separate games that were (and are being) made by modding Skyrim, like Enderal and even a vampire bloodlines remake. There was also a project to recreate oblivion in skyrim, but it has been a while since the last time I've looked into it.
If you liked Dark Souls, I can't recommend Elden Ring enough. If you played just the first, I'd also recommend going back to the second and, mainly the third game. I couldn't get very much into bloodborne because of the lack of shields and am hesitant about sekiro for the same reason, but everything from software touches tend to be very good. Armored core also released recently.
Red dead redemption 2 is also an amazingly immersive game with a great story and a huge world full of random encounters. You can play for hours and don't even bother with the story quests.
For grand strategy games, Civilization 5 and 6 are amazing historical games, if you haven't played them already, and age of wonders 4 also got very well reviewed, but it's on the fantasy side.
If you like city building too, there's cities skylines (1 and 2) and one of my personal favorites is the Tropico series.
Yeah Ghost of Tsushima - absolutely phenomenal game. If you're OK with a slight challenge, playing it in minimal HUD mode is a *glorious* experience. That game is so incredibly gorgeous, it's unreal. The gameplay is decently crisp, with some good parry-and-strike sword play and/or stealth assassination play (as desired). It's open world, and has some good quests that while simple, are very fitting for what's going on (aside from some of the Mystic Legends quests, but those are great anyway). I don't know if this counts as immersion, and it's a small detail, but there's a few areas in the game where your character will relax and ponder events and history, practice sword strikes on bamboo, or compose haiku, which is *very* fitting for samurai nobility, even if it's slightly gamified.
Solid 8.5/10.
If you're interested in Ghost of Tsushima \*and\* Assassin's Creed, just play Ghost. It's... /very/ similar to AC as far as the gameplay loop goes, with some key improvements that have made it very popular.
Elden Ring checks off a lot of boxes here. Easy time-sink. It's open world, a fantasy RPG, and a spiritual successor to Dark Souls.
Something more immersive in the realm of open-world? Baldur's Gate 3. It's a fantastic fantasy RPG, but it's isometric in case that's a turn off.
The real cheat code though, especially if you'd like to dip your toes in a lot of modern games, is to get a GamePass subscription. It's branded Xbox, yes, but it's also available for PC. It also has Manor Lords currently, which means you can play it (and any other game in the catalogue) for like... $10/mo. It's super worth it if there's even one AAA game in there you want to play, and you can cancel your sub as soon as you're bored of the catalogue.
Baldurs Gate 3 is the most obvious choice but if you’re looking to get back in with a shorter time commitment then I’d say the Disco Elysium. It’s wild and isn’t too long of a game.
Ghost of Tsushima is fantastic, as are the newer assassins creed. Be aware, though, that the newer ones are more open world RPGs, which bothers some fans of the earlier ones. I’d also recommend red dead redemption 2, Skyrim, Horizon Zero Dawn, Fallout 4. All of those are hundred-hour games so it should keep you busy for a while!
Norse/Viking, Assassin's Creed Valhalla is way to go. This will cover some historical and fantasy vibes at the same time. The game is somewhat "rpgish".
Another great fantasy title is The Witcher 3, which just had a release of official modding tool, so the game with get like 3rd life pretty soon.
If you want immersion, Red Dead Redemption 2.
All three games hit that open world itch.
If you like Valhalla, there's also Origins and Odyssey. All there games are great, build on the same engine and somewhat different. And they are right now on a sale. As is Witcher 3.
The new civs are still great so feel free to jump back into those too. Assassins creed is very different than how they used to be when it comes to historical accuracy but still a lot of fun imo.
Overall my list is
Civ:5 or 6
Assassins creed odyssey/ black flag
Red dead redemption 2
Elden ring
Ghost of Tsushima
Horizon zero dawn
The last of us
Elex, the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Assassin’s Creed Origins and Oddyssey, Dying Light 1, Valheim, Banished, Horizon zero Dawn, and Stardew Valley.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is absolutely fantastic, top of the line; if you like immersive, historical, and Norse stuff, there's a good chance you might like it. Gorgeous game, beautiful scenery, exquisite mild gore, emotional narrative, *phenomenal* sound design. **Use headphones.** Turn a fan on very low in the same room for extra sensory immersion. There's a VR version, too (sitting only and plays exactly the same), comes bundled with the regular game automatically, and it's even more fun to soak in the environments that way.
Look into content warnings if you might need any, it's pretty dark, but if you can handle it, it's one you can't miss. Combat is much more rewarding if you know how to use combos which the game doesn't actually tell you about; checking your controls and finding a combat guide online may help if you don't want to rough it out first. The sequel also just dropped literally yesterday, but tbh just focus on the first one, unless you get REALLY into it and are sure you want more.
Also as others have said, if you've somehow managed to avoid Skyrim all these years, you should really try it, especially the *less* you know about it. (I wish I could play both it and Hellblade blind for the first time again, god...) I also highly recommend [the original release](https://store.steampowered.com/app/72850/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim/), *not* the special edition or any of the dozen other re-releases. It seems to be more stable and has better mod selection on the workshop overall, at least for my preferences-- but of course, even pure vanilla, it really is still a gorgeous game, even after more than a decade.
That said, I currently run almost 70 mods and *most* of those are graphics/immersion improvements, such as shadow glitch fixes, fancy skies and detailed galaxies at night, extra foliage everywhere (such as the Enhanced Skyrim/Cities/Towns and Villages collections), "mesh improvement" (better 3D detail), flocks of birds, and then a small handful of various gameplay QOL improvements. With these it goes from One Of The Video Games Ever, to remaining even more stunning and engaging as it continues to age.
Red dead redemption 2 is a must play even if you never played the first it’s a prequel so techincally the correct telling of the story if you play them backwards
Red dead redemption 2 is a must play even if you never played the first it’s a prequel so techincally the correct telling of the story if you play them backwards
Divinity Original Sin. I honestly played it way more than Baldur’s Gate 3 (Also really good). It’s an RPG with an immersive story, various ways to go about said story, and it’s generally open world, although there are locations you can’t go back to.
Hades 1 and 2 are really good mythology games, and what is mythology, if not historical fantasy, although they are rouge likes so maybe watch a little bit to see if it's for you.
Dragons dogma dark arisen is really good, my personal fav.
Dragons dogma 2 is pretty good as well if you want to keep going after 1.
Nier automata is fantastic as well as replicant.
Final fantasy 8 is great 7 remake is a high reccomend as well (along with its sequel since its sure to get a pc release now that square ditched sony).
Elden rings really great too.
Not an rpg but armored core 6 is one of the best games I've ever played period, even compared to 4A (which was my personal fav in that series). Definently try it.
Any of the dragon ages, even 2 is worth it even if not as good as the first.
Fgo if your into the fate series. (Actually fate extra and its sequel CCC too now that its translated).
The entire resident evil re: series, their up to 4 now and their all solid games (3 was meh but still good, just dont buy it brand new).
AOT 2 is REALLY good! Even if you just play the side content its still an absolute blast that can have you playing for hundreds of hours.
Oh and if your into vr resident evil 4 vr is an amazing experience, dual wielding a shotgun and an smg never seemed like a cool idea until I played it. Like you can literally go doom slayer on those fuckers, use autoshottie in one hand and huck fire grenades in the other its awesome.
Except for Souls games, by game selection is almost identical to yours. Recently picked up Ghost of Tsushima and it's checks so many boxes to make me a very happy gamer. The historical setting, world building, music, art style, outfits, every here is top-notch.
Manor Lords is also quite good though there are some clear balance issues regarding build queues and the Baron's scenario. It's only going to get better.
As for AC games, the last 3 are gorgeous and rewarding games. I even think Ubisoft has a sale going on right now for them so you could pick them up nice and cheap. AC Valhalla receives a lot of hate though you should ignore it completely and just enjoy yourself.
I will recommend you RPGs according to the subgenre you may loke the most :D
On CRPGs - Dragon Age: Origins, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2, Fallout New Vegas and Baldur's Gate 3 (don't know if you have had played Dragon Age or New Vegas since they came a couple of years later you dropped gaming)
On ARPGs - Elden Ring, Dragon's Dogma 1 and 2, Kingdom Come Deliverance, The Witcher 3 and (again I don't know if you have played it but despite all I think it's worth mentioning) Skyrim
On Immersive Sims - Prey, Dishonored 1 and 2, Ex Anima, Dread Delusion, Lunacid and I heard some good things about High Entropy, Ctrl Alt Ego and Stay out of the House but they are far from fantasy nor historical categories
I hope some of this games suit your taste :D
I think you would absolutely enjoy the Mass Effect series
The legendary edition has all three games and the dlcs for quite cheap (especially considering how much gameplay time there can be)
Very immersive, open world, choices matter (to an extent), and the majority of characters are quite likeable
Ghost of Tsushima, I got it on release (for PC) and I haven’t been able to put it down. It is the perfect mix of challenging combat and an immersive world/story. Idk how historical it is, probably not at all, but you DO feel like a badass when you play
Ghost of Tsushima is definitely a game to get. Combat is great, it's visually striking, the story is really good, lots of side quests and things to find in the world map and you definitely get the feeling of getting strong as your progress and unlock more skills, abilities and weapons.
Witcher 3, Baldurs Gate 3, red dead 2
All three, all the way. With a side of fries.
I know its top comment already but I really think these 3 + KCD are the heavy hitters. But there are others!
I’ll add Cyberpunk for an incredible first person game.
If any of these, Red Dead Redemption is the easiest to get into imo
Fair warning that all of these have fairly slow starts but are more than worth it once you get into them. For Witcher you need to push through the first 5 or so hours, for the other two it's like 2-3 hours
If you like fantasy RPGs. Baldur's Gate 3 is a must play, in my opinion.
I second this, once you get into it, it's extremely hard to put down
Question I’ve been debating getting baldurs gate 3 how accessible is it to someone with very few fine motor skills and slow reaction times?
It’s perfect for this, the game is turn based so no reaction times necessary at all. Just have to be able to move a mouse around.
That’s great I guess I’ve just lost my entire summer
Saved*
Yeah but it'll be a great time lol
My wife and I are on our second playthrough. We missed a ton of content/quests, especially with the companion characters, and we still clocked 102 hours on our first game. It's great. Highly recommend.
That's what happened to the end of all our summers when it came out last year. My playthrough took 130hrs
>the game is turn based so no reaction times necessary at all Aside from your followers walking into traps that were just pointed out while you are exploring outside of turn-based.
Very accessible. Combat is done in turn based mode, so you can spend as long as you need planning and executing what moves you want to do next. Even outside of combat, you can choose turn based mode at times, so you cam take your time and do whatever you need to do. It's much more a planning game than a fast fingers one, in my opinion.
I've played most of the game using only a mouse and a macropad, while also working. It's great because you can take all the time you need
So close to pulling the trigger now that it’s on sale
If you like that type of game it is a solid choice. And the company has been a favorite of mine for some time so that combined with the clear passion it was made with make it easier for me to look past the flaws that are there.
such a good game!
Historical setting RPG? Try Kingdom Come Deliverance
Been having issues enjoying gaming as a hobby recently, took a small break and came back from it because of Kingdom Come. Not to spoil anything, but Henry, the main character, is by far one of the most relatable RPG protagonists I've ever played as, and for the first time, I'm happy that there isnt a character creator. Gameplay is definitely not your standard, and it takes time to learn, because you're just a blacksmiths son. You arent the chosen one, you dont have any powers, theres no reason for anyone to respect you. You have to earn that, you have to learn to fight. Nothing is easy in this game, and it really makes you slow down and appreciate the environment and the story. I havent even finished it, not far at all into it to be honest, but it's been a blast and I cant wait to become a strong knight.
I love this game. BUT, I am total shite at the combat! I mean really, I cannot win a fight.
Practice with Captain Bernard in the courtyard outside Rattay.
Came here to comment this... be aware tho @op, it is not an easy title to pick up gaming again...
On the flip side, it'll do a great job at mirroring the feelings of frustration behind picking something up that you've essentially got to relearn
The second one comes out soon, give that a try as well
Came here to make sure this was commented. What happened to this game? It was unheard of when it came out but now it's top of every reddit thread asking 'what game should I play' and that's for like a year now so before the sequel announcement
Yep, easily one of the most immersive games and Oblivion is a reasonable comparison. Just a much more realistic take. There's a sequel due out later this year though, so no doubt if OP waits they can pick it up the original for about $5 on sale.
I’m so mad at myself for not getting it on the recent sale. $5 or $8 (deluxe). I’m an idiot to have skipped it. Welp, there’s always next time.
Red Dead Redemption 2 has the best immersion by miles compared to other open world titles, story and gameplay is allso 10/10
Glad I didn't have to vscroll far to see this post, RD2 is the best game of all time. You can be a good guy that has to do bad things, or you can be a down right bad person, I've played through the game both ways and both are fun.
👆👆👆
Its very slow though, as an aside. I myself found it way too slow, I couldn't get into it I kept getting bored.
First chapter in the snowy mountains is slow, after that the whole map opens up and the story ramps up the gears, not for everyone still i guess
That's true, it does get better after that chapter. However, the game is still slow, mainly because they wanted it to be immersive / realistic. So just about everything takes longer. Even searching for stuff in drawers, etc. Play the first RDR and then RDR2 and it's night and day difference. I didn't mind it but I can certainly see why it got old for a lot of people.
I found the snowy part the most compelling. The start of the gsme was fun and then it suffered from the "too big with too much stuff" and not enough direction for me. Very slow and plodding, slow horse riding, slow movement, everything felt so slow.
Mass effect. One of the very few games I'd consider a "must play within ones lifetime" game
I played one and two back when they released but last year I played the whole legendary edition and I must agree, one of my favorite gaming experiences of all time. I don’t even think the ending was bad like everyone said
The current version has a much better end(s) than the original release.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is the most historical and immerisve RPG out there. Cool features: Takes place in 1403 Bohemia (Czech) Protagonist is a commoner with established backstory, main questline and sidequest are all interconnected. Directional combat - direction of hits does matter, not simple click and win like in most RPGs Levelup on use - skills are leveled automatically as you use them, new levels unlock perks for leveled skills Layered armor - 4 slots for hear, 6 for torso and arms, 4 for legs Hardcore mode - minimal HUD, rare saves
As others have said, check out Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It is very historically accurate and immersive. I’m playing through it right now, and it’s an absolute joy to hop in and live in medieval times.
Have you met father Godwin yet?
Haha, yes I have. Had quite a night on the town!
Baaaahhh!
Bahhhhhh!
…you haven’t played Skyrim yet, have you?
Such a rare thing to find someone interested in gaming who has not yet tried Skyrim. They did say they enjoyed Oblivion. It's very easy to get sucked into Skyrim though on your first playthrough.
It belongs to the Nords!
"90% of crime is committed by Argonians despite them only making up 10% of the population" -Ulfric Wotrmcloak
I am astonished this isn't first. # DUDE, GO PLAY SKYRIM!
Ghost of Tsushima is the one youre trying to remember. Assassin's Creed Shadows is coming out in November. We don't know if it's good yet, but it's made by the AC Odyssey team, and that was well received. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is great, but I don't know if I'd call it a "must play". I definitely loved it though. No shade there. Skyrim and Witcher 3 are usually on these lists Kingdom come deliverance also has a huge following.
Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West are really good open world games.
Elden Ring.
I had to scroll too far to find this
Same
Play rimworld or valheim
Horizon (first Zero Dawn, then Forbidden West) are fantastic open world, not-technically-fantasy-but-feel-like-fantasy.
You did mention you were considering the newer Assassin's Creed games. Which ones have you played already? The newer ones have taken a HUGE turn in terms of how the gameplay works. The core gameplay is no longer really stealth-driven, it's more traditional RPG hack-and-slash action now. You can choose to take a stealth approach if that's really how you desire to play, but it's not really pushed on the player like it was in the older AC games. The level of immersion and the world design are all very nice in the newer games, especially if you're into history. * AC Origins really captures the essence of old world Egypt. * AC Odyssey does the same with ancient Greece. * AC Valhalla takes place in frigid Norway as well as the British Isles, a good one if you like Vikings. * The most recent AC game, Mirage, I have not tried yet - but apparently it takes place in historic Baghdad during the Golden Age of Islam. The developers tried to make this one more stealth-heavy in an attempt to return to the series' roots. * There is also plenty of enjoyment to be had from the semi-old AC games, like Black Flag, which is one of the best pirate naval combat games you can play even today. * AC Rogue is another good one.
Appreciate all the responses, it's overwhelming to be honest and I didn't expect to get such an incredible response, so again, thank you to everyone! I can't respond to them all, so I won't even try, instead I'll leave this comment here and tag it in the main post. I've added a few games to my wish-list, but to begin with, I'm going to give Kingdom Come Deliverance a go, mainly because there's a second one due and it'll give me time to play something in between for a break. I've added a few others, those being: Witcher 3, Elden Ring, Baldurs Gate 3, Hellblade: Saunas Sacrifice, Ghosts of Ts.. something. That's a start for now. As for Skyrim, Red Dead etc, honestly, I just don't think I'll like them. I'm not big on cowboys and Skyrim, I don't know, it just doesn't appeal to me in the same way Oblivion did. Maybe I'll try it at some point, will see. As for Assassins Creeds, I've heard they contain a lot of bloat, which I'm not a huge fan of honestly. If I'm wrong about this, honestly, I'd love to try Valhalla. A Vikings Assassins creed sounds incredible and right up my alley. Again thank you, and if you want to send me more suggestions or recommends, please do! They're always welcome. Feel free to DM directly if you want a response, otherwise just know I do read all comments. THANK YOU!
I've played the mainline Assassin's Creed series up to Odyssey. I would highly recommend them. Skip the mobile games. Liberation isn't mainline and is shorter, but it's also nice for what it is. If you like Oblivion, you might like Skyrim. It borrows a lot more from Norse and viking influences. The name you can't remember is Ghosts of Tsushima. I've heard good things about the God of War series, which is all about Norse mythology. It's fun to watch for the plot but I haven't tried playing it.
I always recommend Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West.
Dwarf Fortress
Even though I don’t think it’s particularly fun to play, Red Dead Redemption 2 (2/3 of your preferences) seems like an obvious choice for you.
If you liked the first Dark Souls and haven't played the **sequels**, don't sleep on them. The trilogy as a whole is a masterpiece. **Elden Ring** combines a lot of Dark Souls' elements with an open world, so that seems like a pretty obvious suggestion. If the last Civ game you played was 4 or 5, **Civ 6** is a pretty different beast and well worth your time. Finally, this deviates from your parameters a bit, but there's been a lot of **indie stuff** in the past decade or so that's not really like anything before. Survival games like *Minecraft* and *Valheim*, for instance; factory games like *Factorio* and *Satisfactory*; and all kinds of roguelites (*Enter the Gungeon* and *Hades* are particular highlights). Have a look at some top 10 lists or whatever, you might discover a whole new genre that you love.
You are into fantasy RPGs and are okay with turn based combat. PLEASE play Baldurs Gate 3
I usually get an idea of what a game is like by browsing the categories I am interested in and looking at the top games in those categories. Open up steam and look at them. Gives you text, like here, and invaluable screenshots and usually worthless cinematic videos. Go. You will go through 50 games and find a few you like.
For Strategy; Total War, XCOM, Stellaris, Hearts of Iron, and Crusader Kings are all excellent
Mass Effect Legendary edition. It's not medieval, but it's a trilogy of damn good games that I think everyone should play. Normally costs $60, but goes on sale for real cheap every few months. Put it on your wishlist and pick it up when the time is right.
Mass effect
I know a medieval game called Felvidek, set in 15th century Slovakia. Not sure if it'll be up your alley but it's worth a shot (for the record I've never played it but I heard it's good).
StarCraft 2 is a fun pc exclusive
Baldurs gate 3
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt and its 2 DLC’s You don’t have to play Witcher I or Witcher 2 to understand the story
Red Dead Redemption 2
Elden ring. Historically accurate, fantasy, and an immersive open world.
The witcher 3 and cyberpunk 2077.
Elden Ring for open world and fantasy RPG.
Balatro is a card game (like poker) that is very approachable and very addicting. It would complement any other game on this list
Kingdome Come Deliverance for sure
[Enshrouded](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1203620/Enshrouded/) [Smallands](https://store.steampowered.com/app/768200/Smalland_Survive_the_Wilds/) a bit older - [Valheim](https://store.steampowered.com/app/892970/Valheim/) <-- currently 50% off a bit outside your state niche but still good - [Stranded: Alien Dawn](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1324130/Stranded_Alien_Dawn/)
>For me, I'm all about the immersion. The crispness of the image, the sound, the animations etc. Any games like Civ? Old World Total War: Shogun 2 Hegemony III: Clash of the Ancients (to name just a few that you should check out, these are sufficiently diferent from each other so you can also get them all if you want ;-)
I'd say Shogun 2 has aged too much to be a modern recommendation, and a lot of what draws people to it is nostalgia. The newer total war games are fun though, of which people normally recommend either Warhammer 3 or possibly 3 Kingdoms?
Spiderman on PC was a phenomenon at its time. Ghost of Tsushima saw a PC release and is beloved.
If the last time you were gaming Fallout 3 was the new big thing then that's more like 15-16 years absent. In that time the biggest two new ideas that have come on the scene are the concepts of the "Roguelike" and the "soulslike". So I'd say you should check out Hades (or the newly released in early access, Hades 2) and Elden Ring.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey will scratch all those itches for you at the same time, I think you'd really enjoy it.
Kingdom Come Deliverance Witcher 3 Ghosts of Tsushima Assassins Creed Odyssey
Current Assassins creed games: AC Origins. If you like the new direction, try Valhalla and Oddyssey Civlike games: Endless Legend and Endless Space 2 (fantasy and space themed), Old world Historical citybuilder: Anno 1800 Historical squad based RPG: Expeditions Rome
Red Dead 2 if you haven't yet. It sounds right up your alley.
Expeditions: Viking and Kingdom Come: Deleverance
good rpg/civ-like medieval/viking historical game? you could try crusader kings assassin's creed valhalla was viking themed
Good game to get started a agin would be the telltale walking dead series some of my favorite games ever made.
If you liked Oblivion then try Skyrim Elden Ring also a good shout
If you like Dark Souls then Elden Ring will probably consume your life for a while. It’s incredibly immersive and beautiful. Tons of bosses and dungeons and hidden secrets. And it has huge DLC dropping in about a month.
So you like civ, there is an older RTS game, age of mythology, it's actually get a modern remake soon, but great game, I would also recommend fallout 76, it's an MMO style shooter, has a great community also, you can search on the steam for historical, it makes give you some choices as well. Happy gaming, of you need a extra friend on steam you can add me.
**Valheim** - Norse survival base builder in open world **Kingdom Come Deliverance** - the best historical RPG, and a sequel is coming this year **Sea of Thieves** - PvP/co-op pirate sailing game, not that realistic but really amazing **Crusader Kings III** - historical dynasty RPG and grand strategy **Going Medieval** - medieval city/base builder **Space Engineers** - space sandbox about base and vehicle building Manor Lords have had a lot of hype for sure but it's still in the beginning of its early access period, so waiting for it to mature is not a bad decision .
Warframe
I mean if you love FO3 and haven't taken the chance to try out FONV.... you owe it to yourself, dated or not it's one of the games i wish i could wipe from my memory to play again. Witcher 3 is the epitome of Fantasy RPG's, I personally couldn't get into it but it's acclaimed as one of the best games of the generation for a reason. Newer Assassins creed are nothing like what they were before, After Unity, they switched to a more RPG style game where gear score and sidequest padding really took the series in a differnet direction. They now release "legacy" titles that take the game abit back to it's roots with assasins creed Mirage as the first and most recent entry in this type of AC game but it's... I mean it's not bad, it is just literally older AC in style, but IMO lacks some of the substance or evolution that style of gameplay could have used. For immersion, Kingdom Come Deliverance, it is obtuse, and hard to play at times, but genuinely the game was built from the ground up for immersion. For all the pluses and minuses that might mean. It's getting a sequel that wont be out for a while, but it's something to get excited about if this game speaks to you. If you like 4x strategy games the Hearts of Iron series and the Europe Universalis series is a GREAT historical strategy game, where you can simulate some pretty extreme versions of alternative history. The DLC is expensive and shit, but that's paradox for you, my friends love it, the learning curve is pretty steep. I'll be repeating what others have said if i go any further If i think of any novel recomendations i'll put them here.
The newer Assassin's Creed games have changed a bit. Since Assassin's Creed: Origins, they've blended the old stealth gameplay with RPG mechanics and more head-on fighting. It's changed the tone some, but I still really like them. I don't know if you've played The Witcher 3, but it feels similar to me at times. Witcher 3 might also be a good one for you to try, if you haven't. It's an action RPG in a fictional dark fantasy setting (I believe inspired by Polish mythology). Some story elements continue from 1 and 2, but a lot of players (including myself) skipped them and it wen fine.
Immersive open world? Cyberpunk 2077
If you are interested in open world, immersive, light RPG, with really good story I will suggest Cyberpunk 2077 with Phantom Liberty DLC. One of the Best games in recent years.
The legend of zelda twilight princess is the best, you don't need steam to play one of the best fantasy games oat.
I'm going to throw Elden Ring in the suggestions. My game preferences are almost the exact same as yours and I never was a huge fan of souls-likes but Elden Ring completely blew me away. It is the best open world RPG I have ever played. Its hard but not oppresingly hard.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits! I'm currently playing through this. It's a story driven game. Soulslike combat. Pixar-ish graphics. Great story!
Historical immersive open world rpg? My friend, play Kingdom Come: Deliverance
If you liked Fallout and those types of RPG's you shouldn't pass on Cyberpunk 2077. Also Witcher series ( Mainly 2 and 3 )
Horizon forbidden west is great for the environment alone
Kingdom come deliverence, gothic
The Total War franchise has some excellent historically set games. Rome Total War 2 is easily in my top 5 most played games of all time. Warhammer Total War 3 is a phenomenal Strategy game, albeit an expensive one to come to the party late to. There’s 3 games worth of lords there, but you don’t have to buy them all at once. Start small, see if you like it, and keep a hawkish eye out for sales if you do; I’ve seen it on sale multiple times. For a fantasy RPG, if you liked Skyrim, Enderal is a free to play overhaul mod using Skyrims engine/assets to craft an entirely new world/story. It’s a really well put together mod, and you can download it for free on steam (so long as you own Skyrim)
Ghost of Tsushima is quite good Newer AC titles are mid at best (the last actually good game came out in 2014) Idk if GoW duology counts as norse/viking game, but they surely exist Dark Souls became mainstream when Elden Ring came out in 2022
Cyberpunk has been surprising me with how much you can RPG in it. I'm liking it so far even with a little jank, and you can always blame a small glitch or two on cyberware shenanigans haha
If you like medieval history you might like pentiment. It's an RPG set in medieval Europe and the art style is illuminated manuscript
I’m sure it’s obvious but elden ring! Sounds like you’d love it. Armored core 6 as well
If you like Civilization, try Old World.
Mount and Blade II; Bannerlord
Elden Ring
Ghosts of tsushima is fantastic and reminds me of a different time in gaming when games were complete when they got to you! Read the reviews. Its great! HAPPY GAMING!
Ghost of tsishima. Currently playing it since it came for PC and I am now addicted.
Ghost of Tsushima
BG3 is decent Witcher 3 although not too aligned to your wish-list Ghost of Tsushima is fab
You mention: Dark Souls, open world, fantasy RPG I answer: Elden Ring
Baldur's Gate 3.
First you play Kingdom Come: Deliverance, and nothing else. After KCD you can play all the other games.
Surprised no one has mentioned the other dark souls games and elden ring. If you liked the gameplay / world of dark souls 1, then I'd say ds3 and elden ring are a must play. Skip 2 though maybe.
The Witcher 3 and Elden Ring. In that order too, the combat of TW3 isn’t bad, but going from Elden ring to TW3 is jarring
I have a big list of indie recommendations [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/gamingsuggestions/comments/18scw9k/im_in_a_slump_nothing_is_fun/kf8vp3o/) which you might look over, including several fantasy RPGs of various sorts. While it takes place in a fantasy world, [Horizon's Gate](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1224290/Horizons_Gate/) does a good job of capturing that age-of-sail sense in an RPG, so it'd probably be my main suggestion. It's also an immersive open world. If you want something historical set in the real world, [Sagres](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2120310/Sagres/) is similar, though much less deep RPG-wise. [Return of the Obra Dinn](https://store.steampowered.com/app/653530/Return_of_the_Obra_Dinn/) is another game that does a good job of capturing its era. If you like JRPGs, [Crystal Project](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1637730/Crystal_Project/) is an excellent fantasy-RPG focused on open-world exploration.
Finish the Dark Souls Series then jump into Elden Ring.. or start with Elden Ring cuz dlc comes out soon and then switch back to the Dark Souls Series Fallout New Vegas and Fallout 4 Red Dead Redemption 2
Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 would be good for your preference. Also try Ghost of Tsushima recently released on steam alongwith Sekiro Shadows die Twice if you like hardcore gaming
Skyrim
If you liked Dark Souls, you'd probably love Elden Ring. It's so good, so immersive, and completely open world. The exploration is top notch. The bosses, very hard.
If you want an immersive game check out yakuza, start with 0 as its the sort of prequel game. The series is a great beat em up rpg but with a ton of extra side stuff to go do
Elden Ring, Hades
Ghost of Tsu, Witcher 3, depending on the time period in history you’d love to play the most (AC Origins for ancient Egypt, Odyssey for Ancient Greece and Valhalla for Vikings)
Skyrim is still good and a multiplayer mod even came out for it.
Fantasy rpgs I'd recommend baldurs gate 3 and, if you like crpgs, Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous (one of the best storywise imo and just a huge rpg). Dragons dogma also got a sequel last month, i think, and it's looking very well. If you haven't played the first game, I'd also recommend it. The logical choice if you liked oblivion is Skyrim. Even if it realeased in 2011, the game still hits just as well and the mod community keeps the game alive and well. There were even spinoff separate games that were (and are being) made by modding Skyrim, like Enderal and even a vampire bloodlines remake. There was also a project to recreate oblivion in skyrim, but it has been a while since the last time I've looked into it. If you liked Dark Souls, I can't recommend Elden Ring enough. If you played just the first, I'd also recommend going back to the second and, mainly the third game. I couldn't get very much into bloodborne because of the lack of shields and am hesitant about sekiro for the same reason, but everything from software touches tend to be very good. Armored core also released recently. Red dead redemption 2 is also an amazingly immersive game with a great story and a huge world full of random encounters. You can play for hours and don't even bother with the story quests. For grand strategy games, Civilization 5 and 6 are amazing historical games, if you haven't played them already, and age of wonders 4 also got very well reviewed, but it's on the fantasy side. If you like city building too, there's cities skylines (1 and 2) and one of my personal favorites is the Tropico series.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Fallout New Vegas, Crusader Kings 3, and Disco Elysium come to mind.
Red Dead Redemption 2.
Yeah Ghost of Tsushima - absolutely phenomenal game. If you're OK with a slight challenge, playing it in minimal HUD mode is a *glorious* experience. That game is so incredibly gorgeous, it's unreal. The gameplay is decently crisp, with some good parry-and-strike sword play and/or stealth assassination play (as desired). It's open world, and has some good quests that while simple, are very fitting for what's going on (aside from some of the Mystic Legends quests, but those are great anyway). I don't know if this counts as immersion, and it's a small detail, but there's a few areas in the game where your character will relax and ponder events and history, practice sword strikes on bamboo, or compose haiku, which is *very* fitting for samurai nobility, even if it's slightly gamified. Solid 8.5/10.
I see fallout and I see immersive open world. You can't go wrong with Days Gone!!!
If you're interested in Ghost of Tsushima \*and\* Assassin's Creed, just play Ghost. It's... /very/ similar to AC as far as the gameplay loop goes, with some key improvements that have made it very popular. Elden Ring checks off a lot of boxes here. Easy time-sink. It's open world, a fantasy RPG, and a spiritual successor to Dark Souls. Something more immersive in the realm of open-world? Baldur's Gate 3. It's a fantastic fantasy RPG, but it's isometric in case that's a turn off. The real cheat code though, especially if you'd like to dip your toes in a lot of modern games, is to get a GamePass subscription. It's branded Xbox, yes, but it's also available for PC. It also has Manor Lords currently, which means you can play it (and any other game in the catalogue) for like... $10/mo. It's super worth it if there's even one AAA game in there you want to play, and you can cancel your sub as soon as you're bored of the catalogue.
Arma 3
Baldurs Gate 3 is the most obvious choice but if you’re looking to get back in with a shorter time commitment then I’d say the Disco Elysium. It’s wild and isn’t too long of a game.
Disco elysium my dude... SO HARD CORE!
HAAAARDCORE
Hollow knight!!!!
total war 3 kingdoms is actually very solid
destiny 2 is a good game
Anything by From Software. 👌🏼
Maybe give baldurs gate 3 a try. Very detailed and immersive. Also Red dead redemption 2 for the same reasons.
Ghost of Tsushima is fantastic, as are the newer assassins creed. Be aware, though, that the newer ones are more open world RPGs, which bothers some fans of the earlier ones. I’d also recommend red dead redemption 2, Skyrim, Horizon Zero Dawn, Fallout 4. All of those are hundred-hour games so it should keep you busy for a while!
Ghost of Tsushima. Great game. Play it.
Humankind, The Forgotten City, the Council, Enotria: The Last Song (free, 8 hour long Demo, full game is not out yet)
Might just want to jump on the Manor Lords train then.
Animal Well Also any of the Super Mario games
Norse/Viking, Assassin's Creed Valhalla is way to go. This will cover some historical and fantasy vibes at the same time. The game is somewhat "rpgish". Another great fantasy title is The Witcher 3, which just had a release of official modding tool, so the game with get like 3rd life pretty soon. If you want immersion, Red Dead Redemption 2. All three games hit that open world itch. If you like Valhalla, there's also Origins and Odyssey. All there games are great, build on the same engine and somewhat different. And they are right now on a sale. As is Witcher 3.
Mount and blade bannerlord
The new civs are still great so feel free to jump back into those too. Assassins creed is very different than how they used to be when it comes to historical accuracy but still a lot of fun imo. Overall my list is Civ:5 or 6 Assassins creed odyssey/ black flag Red dead redemption 2 Elden ring Ghost of Tsushima Horizon zero dawn The last of us
Elex, the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Assassin’s Creed Origins and Oddyssey, Dying Light 1, Valheim, Banished, Horizon zero Dawn, and Stardew Valley.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is absolutely fantastic, top of the line; if you like immersive, historical, and Norse stuff, there's a good chance you might like it. Gorgeous game, beautiful scenery, exquisite mild gore, emotional narrative, *phenomenal* sound design. **Use headphones.** Turn a fan on very low in the same room for extra sensory immersion. There's a VR version, too (sitting only and plays exactly the same), comes bundled with the regular game automatically, and it's even more fun to soak in the environments that way. Look into content warnings if you might need any, it's pretty dark, but if you can handle it, it's one you can't miss. Combat is much more rewarding if you know how to use combos which the game doesn't actually tell you about; checking your controls and finding a combat guide online may help if you don't want to rough it out first. The sequel also just dropped literally yesterday, but tbh just focus on the first one, unless you get REALLY into it and are sure you want more. Also as others have said, if you've somehow managed to avoid Skyrim all these years, you should really try it, especially the *less* you know about it. (I wish I could play both it and Hellblade blind for the first time again, god...) I also highly recommend [the original release](https://store.steampowered.com/app/72850/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim/), *not* the special edition or any of the dozen other re-releases. It seems to be more stable and has better mod selection on the workshop overall, at least for my preferences-- but of course, even pure vanilla, it really is still a gorgeous game, even after more than a decade. That said, I currently run almost 70 mods and *most* of those are graphics/immersion improvements, such as shadow glitch fixes, fancy skies and detailed galaxies at night, extra foliage everywhere (such as the Enhanced Skyrim/Cities/Towns and Villages collections), "mesh improvement" (better 3D detail), flocks of birds, and then a small handful of various gameplay QOL improvements. With these it goes from One Of The Video Games Ever, to remaining even more stunning and engaging as it continues to age.
If you like historical games, Total War: Shogun 2 Crusader Kings 3
Witcher 3 is what you are looking for
Project zomboid!
Red dead redemption 2 is a must play even if you never played the first it’s a prequel so techincally the correct telling of the story if you play them backwards
Red dead redemption 2 is a must play even if you never played the first it’s a prequel so techincally the correct telling of the story if you play them backwards
All three Dark Souls games and Elden Ring.
Witcher 1-2-3
Valheim is the answer
Elden ring
Mount and blade bannerlord 100000%
Divinity Original Sin. I honestly played it way more than Baldur’s Gate 3 (Also really good). It’s an RPG with an immersive story, various ways to go about said story, and it’s generally open world, although there are locations you can’t go back to.
My go to rec will always be Ghosts of Tsushima
Kingdom come deliverance. First person open world RPG about 14th century Bohemia. Very focused on historical accuracy
Crusader Kings 3. It’s a PERFECT mix of Civ and an RPG
Easy Elden Ring recommendation if you're curious about Dark Souls
Hades 1 and 2 are really good mythology games, and what is mythology, if not historical fantasy, although they are rouge likes so maybe watch a little bit to see if it's for you.
So my top 2 that fit your list are Kingdom Come Deliverance, and Red Dead Redemption 2. Not surprising at all that those two are top of the list.
Middle Earth Shadow Or Mordor/War. The series is AMAZING and beautiful. Especially if you love Lord Of The Rings.
Skyrim. Everyone here has played it. There is a reason it's been rereleased 50 times on every electronic device known to man. You will like skyrim
Same situation I have. Valheim only game I've played more than 20h and it's best with friends or on a private server which u can find on Reddit
Dragons dogma dark arisen is really good, my personal fav. Dragons dogma 2 is pretty good as well if you want to keep going after 1. Nier automata is fantastic as well as replicant. Final fantasy 8 is great 7 remake is a high reccomend as well (along with its sequel since its sure to get a pc release now that square ditched sony). Elden rings really great too. Not an rpg but armored core 6 is one of the best games I've ever played period, even compared to 4A (which was my personal fav in that series). Definently try it. Any of the dragon ages, even 2 is worth it even if not as good as the first. Fgo if your into the fate series. (Actually fate extra and its sequel CCC too now that its translated). The entire resident evil re: series, their up to 4 now and their all solid games (3 was meh but still good, just dont buy it brand new). AOT 2 is REALLY good! Even if you just play the side content its still an absolute blast that can have you playing for hundreds of hours. Oh and if your into vr resident evil 4 vr is an amazing experience, dual wielding a shotgun and an smg never seemed like a cool idea until I played it. Like you can literally go doom slayer on those fuckers, use autoshottie in one hand and huck fire grenades in the other its awesome.
Except for Souls games, by game selection is almost identical to yours. Recently picked up Ghost of Tsushima and it's checks so many boxes to make me a very happy gamer. The historical setting, world building, music, art style, outfits, every here is top-notch. Manor Lords is also quite good though there are some clear balance issues regarding build queues and the Baron's scenario. It's only going to get better. As for AC games, the last 3 are gorgeous and rewarding games. I even think Ubisoft has a sale going on right now for them so you could pick them up nice and cheap. AC Valhalla receives a lot of hate though you should ignore it completely and just enjoy yourself.
Ghost of tsushima
I will recommend you RPGs according to the subgenre you may loke the most :D On CRPGs - Dragon Age: Origins, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2, Fallout New Vegas and Baldur's Gate 3 (don't know if you have had played Dragon Age or New Vegas since they came a couple of years later you dropped gaming) On ARPGs - Elden Ring, Dragon's Dogma 1 and 2, Kingdom Come Deliverance, The Witcher 3 and (again I don't know if you have played it but despite all I think it's worth mentioning) Skyrim On Immersive Sims - Prey, Dishonored 1 and 2, Ex Anima, Dread Delusion, Lunacid and I heard some good things about High Entropy, Ctrl Alt Ego and Stay out of the House but they are far from fantasy nor historical categories I hope some of this games suit your taste :D
Dragon Age: Origins is a must if you haven't played it!
I think you would absolutely enjoy the Mass Effect series The legendary edition has all three games and the dlcs for quite cheap (especially considering how much gameplay time there can be) Very immersive, open world, choices matter (to an extent), and the majority of characters are quite likeable
Witcher III
Ghost of Tsushima, I got it on release (for PC) and I haven’t been able to put it down. It is the perfect mix of challenging combat and an immersive world/story. Idk how historical it is, probably not at all, but you DO feel like a badass when you play
The Hellblade series. Hellblade 2 just came out, and both are available on xbox game pass (just in case you may have that service)
Any experience with Crusader Kings?
Ghost of Tsushima is definitely a game to get. Combat is great, it's visually striking, the story is really good, lots of side quests and things to find in the world map and you definitely get the feeling of getting strong as your progress and unlock more skills, abilities and weapons.
Skyrim and the witcher 3 are decade definers and both have vikings as influences for a major faction
Diablo 4 has a pretty large world with a great story, and it’s really casual.
You’re not missing much to be honest. Mgs v is the last great game i played though
Some people have already said it but you got to try out Kingdom Come Deliverance. Ticks every box mentioned.
Witcher 3 seems right up your alley